Resonance of Soul
by Legend-of-Mitsuki
Summary: Maka returns home from a shopping trip. A bad omen has been following her and things take a turn for the worse. Can Soul save her? Please review.
1. Chapter 1  Trip's Turned Sour

**Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a long fanfic. This was based off of a role play I did with my Soul ^_^ Please Rate and Review - let me know what I could do better (I want criticism!).**

**Disclaimer: Soul Eater and all associated characters and content belong to Atsushi Okubo.**

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The door opened suddenly. Soul lifted his head lazily off the arm of the sofa to look over the back of it. He smiled when he saw that Maka had returned from her shopping trip.

"I'm back!" she called happily

"Hi" he said coolly from the sofa.

Maka closed the door, took off her shoes and placed her keys on the side board. She slipped away in to her room for a split second then returned to sit by her weapon's side, without her shopping, by which point Soul was lying back down on the sofa.

"How have you been?" she asked smiling.

Soul sat up a bit more. "Alright," he answered in his usual cool tone. He smiled at her. "Did you get everything you need?"

Maka nodded, the same smile still spread across her face. "I got that dress Tsubaki was on about. She was right, it does look awesome."

"Anything else?" he asked, trying to sound interested in his meister's day shopping, despite the only shopping he enjoyed was the kind that resulted in food at the end of it all.

Maka paused; her face fell slightly. "Now that you mention it… there was a snake that seemed to follow us around all day." She shivered slightly.

"Aww… poor Maka" Soul mocked as he put his arms around Maka and hugged her.

Her smile soon returned as Soul embraced her. "I'm sure it was nothing."

Soul recoiled away from her. Without a warning, the sentence she had just spoke turned into an uncontrollable giggle, which, seconds later she ceased. Her face dropped slightly in concern. Something, she knew, was wrong. Soul noticed nothing, until she started manically giggling again.

"Are you alright Maka?" he asked. The amount of concern for his meister was clear. This had never happened before.

She managed to stop again, and looked at him with a smile. "Everything is fine," she told him. "Do you want a drink?"

"Mmm" Soul nodded, and Maka got up and headed for the kitchen.

"What would you like?" Her voice sounded from behind the door.

"Orange wo-" Soul started, but another burst of maniacal laughter cut him off. It ended abruptly with the sound of coughing, followed by a short pause, then the clatter of cutlery hitting the tiled kitchen floor.

Soul leaped up from the beaten seat he had been so comfortable in and made haste towards the kitchen to find Maka, surrounded by cutlery, on the floor trying to steady herself. He skidded on his knees across the smooth kitchen floor to his meister's side.

"Maka," his voice was full of concern "what happened?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to reassure her.

Maka didn't answer. She just sat on the floor, trying to catch her heavy breath. Without warning she coughed, and naturally covered her mouth with her hand. The sight that greeted her after was one which sent shivers down her spine.

Soul's face looked more worried. "Are you okay?" he asked. Then he saw her palm. There were tiny ink like flecks in the middle of her hand; they were black. Soul eyes widened in shock and terror; _what the hell was going on? Why now?_

Maka placed both hands on the ground and attempted to get up. She succeeded and ignored the scattered silverware. Soul got up too, and guided her back to the sofa.

"How do I stop it?" Maka asked as they moved. Her voice was not as strong as usual.

"I don't know," replied Soul, flopping down on to the sofa. Maka perched herself on the arm and allowed herself to slide off, on to the cushions below, and rest her head on Soul's lap. She watched his face, particularly his eyes, as he gazed off; past the glass pane of the window, in to the distance, as if searching for an answer to comfort her.

His eyes were ruby red; she loved the colour - a colour full of passion; a passion for her - helping her protect innocent lives from the threat of the Kishin.

She hoped that he would never leave her side. Since her parent's divorce, she had lost faith in all men, except Soul. He had stuck by her and protected her. She smiled sweetly, but that smile soon surrendered to a madness she was struggling to suppress. Her tactic of focusing on her favourite thing was failing. She stopped, bending double in a coughing fit, which lasted a few seconds. Soul's eyes snapped back to her; he watched tentatively, in case things got worse.

On relaxing, Maka looked at her hands again. There were more inky splashes added to the stains which were already there. She looked up at Soul.

"I think my body is rejecting it." A small smile appeared on her face, but quickly disappeared. "But why now… it has been months since we defeated Asura. Nothing happened like this… I thought that we were rid of that…"she shivered and paused as if trying to avoid saying something, "…curse."

Soul observed her face as she spoke. Although she was small, Soul knew Maka was a force to be reckoned with, all too well; he admired that trait in her. "Well, your body seems to be rejecting it. That's a good thing isn't it?"

He coughed and checked his own hand out of worry. Thankfully, it was clean. He looked down at his meister. She looked as if she was peacefully asleep on his lap. He smiled down at her, and stroked her hair, before scooping her up and carrying her off in the direction of her bedroom.

Her room was fairly large and airy, even though there were a few things left out on the floor. The walls were light yellow in colour, though one could almost not tell for the posters on her walls; the bright colours gave the room a life of its own. Soul nudge some books out of the way with his foot and placed her carefully on her neatly made bed, and went to draw her curtains. He came back and sat on the edge of the bed, and watched her sleeping.

It was a good thing he did. No sooner than he had sat down, Maka's breathing changed; it became far shallower than a sleeping person's should ever be. He leant over her, concerned.

"Maka?" he called down to her, but she didn't move.

He moved so he was sat closer to her head. _Looks like she is going to be out cold for a while_ he thought. He gazed off out the window, but his daydreaming was interrupted by a strange spluttering sound coming from beside him. He turned violently to see Maka lying on the bed, completely still. She had stopped breathing.

He froze.

Panic set in.

His face drained of its colour.

"Maka!" he shouted, hoping to provoke some form of response.

It didn't.

His mind started reeling. What had happened to her? What should he do? Was she going to be okay? He slammed his hands astride his meister and closed his eyes, attempting to get a grip.

After a second he opened them again, and looked down at the unconscious blonde below. He stared at her face, hoping it would give him some answers, or he would be able to hear her telling him what to do. It took him a few seconds to see it, but there was a tiny trickle of black blood running out of the corner of Maka's mouth.

_That's it! She's choking on it!_

Without further hesitation, Soul picked up Maka, rolled her over and lifted her torso, just below her ribs, allowing her body to flop over slightly. Placing his hands just below her ribs, he sharply jerked his hands upwards, in an effort to expel the blood from her system.

It worked. After a few movements, Soul could feel Maka's ribs contract violently, as her body tried to cough up all the dark, viscous liquid. At first it was just a little. Then, suddenly, she lurched forward, throwing up a great splurge of a liquid, which, once it landed, had the consistency of treacle. Maka hung, panting over Soul's arms, as the blood was slowly absorbed in to the duvet they were sat on top of. Thinking it was a good idea to get rid of it, Soul managed to get the duvet out from underneath them and kick it off the end of the bed, in to a heap on the floor.

Soul carefully lay Maka back down on her side and lay down next to her. She tried to open her eyes.

"Take it easy, Maka," Soul tried to comfort her "That was a lot of… blood you just threw up." He laid an arm over the top of her, as if to hug her, but allowed her enough space to breath. "Are you alright?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer.

Her voice was weak. "I… don'…t kn…know" she said breathlessly. Her breathing was heavy and laboured. She looked towards Soul, his ruby eyes were the only thing she could make out in her breathless haze.

"You had me worried for a bit there," said Soul, trying to lighten the mood. He reached for her hand and held it gently in his. "I think it might be an idea for you to try and sleep this off."

Maka tried to protest by shaking her head, but couldn't very clearly.

"I don't think that is a good idea" her speech was broken by heavy, yet shallow breaths. "The power… strong... it… take… me…"

Soul gulped and looked at her concerned. Maka was usually right about these kinds of things, but he was the only one to have experienced the true strength of the black blood. He had survived sleeping with it in his system, though he had never coughed it up before.

"Just don't push yourself," he said, in as calm a voice as he could manage given the grave peril his meister and best friend was in. He slipped his available hand behind her head and pulled her in close to his chest. He breathed in the scent of her hair (the sweet, pleasant, fruity aroma of the hair care set Tsubaki had given Maka for her last birthday was one that made him hungry)."Please just rest." He tried to reassure her, but Maka remained tense.

He sighed. "I don't know how to explain it. You… you have to ignore it. Just rest, and if you get scared you, you can... squeeze onto my arm and then I'll wake you up before it can take you? Alright?"

"If... sleep... won'... strength..."Maka tried to protest again, but Soul put his finger on her lips.

"See," He said with an almost smile "you need it." He pulled her up closer to him still. This slightly shocked her, but she didn't protest. Instead, she smiled sweetly with a small sigh. Her grip on Soul's hand tightened; though she was happy Soul was doing all he could to protect and calm her, she was still terrified. She fought to stay awake. The things she had seen in her brief dream before Soul had saved were too terrible to contemplate returning to. "For the love of god, just sleep."

There was a pause during which time Soul began to realise exactly how terrified Maka really was; she just lacked the energy to show it properly. He tucked her head under his chin; her feet barely reached below his. "I won't let anything happen to you," he said with an absolute conviction which gave the small blonde girl he held absolute faith in him; the pair of them trusted the other with their lives.

Without warning, Maka coughed again. Her lack of energy prevented her from covering her mouth in time and spots of black appeared on Soul's shirt. He looked taken a back, and more worried than before; this was going to be tough on poor Maka. She began to fall limp in his arms again; he could feel her soul's power getting weaker.

"Just keep breathing Maka. Concentrate on that." His voice was clearly full of worry. "I'll be here, so don't worry." _Please don't die on me!_

"Don't…. let… me…" Maka attempted to say, but she lacked the energy to finish. She fell limp, then suddenly let out a maniacal burst of laughter before falling still; she was breathing, but barely.

Soul lay staring at Maka's almost lifeless body. What should he do? How could he help? He didn't know how.

"Help me Soul" Maka's voice rung loud and clear in his soul; a terrified and weakening wavelength. Soul looked down to see Maka arching her back. Her forehead was angled towards his.

_Could this be a sign?_ He pondered.

He sat himself up, rolling Maka on to her back again and moving her head on to his lap. _Please let this work_ he begged in his mind. He slowly leaned forward. _Don't worry Maka. I'm coming to find you._


	2. Chapter 2  The Mystery Within

**Author's Note: Update time! Truth be known, I'd finished this when I posted chapter 1. I wanted to make sure you were not kept waiting too long for the second instalment. The third, however, may take a bit of time. I've not finished writing it yet. :p**

**As always, please rate and review.**

**Disclaimer: Soul Eater and all associated characters and content belong to Atsushi Okubo.**

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Soul looked about him. The room he found himself in looked much like the Trophy Room at Shibusen, albeit smaller. The castle-like stone walls surrounding him were lined with mismatched shelves and display cabinets - each one representative of the year it displayed; a year of Maka's life. The ornaments on the familiar shelves were entirely different to those at the school. Most of the trophies which were there had been replaced by photograph frames. Soul casually wandered over to the nearest shelf to take a look at that on display. There was a familiar trophy there; one which he and Maka had won at the end of their first year working together as meister and weapon. He smiled as he remembered how happy Maka had been to win the award for best new partners. He looked at the photos which surrounded it. There were all ones of Maka happy with her mother, father, himself and their friends. Thinking back to then, before the complications of Spirit and Kami's divorce, Maka was so happy; life seemed simpler then.

He looked around at the rest of the room. There were many gaps on some of the shelves; it looked as though she had not had the chance to do everything she had wanted. At the end of the room he noticed a door. It looked heavy, and the carvings which adorned it were intricate and spiralling. It was slightly ajar.

He pulled it open enough to fit though. "Maka!" He called out, but there was no response, so he called several more times; each one was in vain.

He paused. _This is screaming dangerous but, it's for Maka so it's worth it._ He slipped through the door and walked down the curved stone stairs in front of him.

He didn't notice the trickling treacle-like substance flowing out of the bricks behind him.

He came across another door, and another, and another. Each time the same thing happened, but he kept going; his will to save Maka was so strong.

After many doors and much running, Soul eventually found a door that looked different to the ones before. It was very plain and was painted white. Soul pushed it open; it opened far easier than the previous ones. He looked around a room which seemed very familiar to him; there were posters up on the walls which looked exactly like the ones in Maka's room. However there was something very strange; all the colour seemed to be partially drained from the room. He looked across the room to see what he had hoped to see.

"Maka!" He cried out.

Sure enough, there she was. She stood there with a slightly perplexed look on her face. Her full colour contrasted against the washed-out look of the room. She was dressed in a black dress which reached just below her knee. The top part of her dress enveloped her hands as gloves. On her feet were intricately tied sandals over a pair of tights which matched the top of her dress. On Soul's cry, she looked towards him and she watched him rush across the room to embrace her.

One second, her face was loving; happy to see Soul.

The next second, her eyes flashed snake-like.

There was a loud slam, but Soul didn't hear it. Instead, he let Maka go and said to her "Come on! We have to go!"

"Go where?" Maka replied coolly.

"Out, anywhere. Just not here." Soul's tone was slightly panicked.

"But how?" Maka's voice retained its tone.

"The door?" asked Soul.

"What door?"

Soul spun round. Sure enough, there was no door.

A muffled scream resounded from an unknown source. Soul noticed, but didn't react; he was too busy trying to think of another way out of there.

"Are there any windows?"

"Can you see any?"

Soul paused, looking around. "No."

At that moment, a scream resounded again, and the colour in the room flickered. This time Soul noticed Maka smiled at the sound of the scream, and reacted; his eyes narrowed. Without warning his arm was around Maka's throat.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Maka?"

'Maka' giggled and her eyes flashed with a snake-like glare.

"What the hell is going on?" Soul demanded. His grip tightened slightly around 'Maka's neck

"If you keep doing that the pair of you will die" 'Maka's voice remained unchanged.

"I'll repeat my question." There was a sense of panic in his voice "Who are you and what have you done with Maka?" He paused, "And how will both of us die?" Despite of his previous warning, he tightened his grip slightly. "Answer me, Imposter, or I'll kill you!"

'Maka' giggled again. "Oh I can't die... you already killed me..."

Out of surprise Soul let the girl go, and she collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. He took a step away from her, but continued to watch her like a hawk. She turned to look at him.

"Who are you?" He asked. His breathing was heavy but his glare did not falter

"You should know Soul," her tone of voice changed slightly to one that made Soul lose his cool.

"I gave my blood to my child," The voice made him shiver.

"Who gave it to you," Soul's eyes widened. He knew the answer now.

"Then _you_ gave it to this wretched girl"

Soul's eyes narrowed more than they had previously been. "Medusa," he hatefully hissed.

Medusa, still disguised as Maka, cackled. "That took you long enough." Her eyes narrowed back at him. She then, to Soul's confusion, reached out in front of herself, and pointed at his feet. "Vector Arrow"

Before Soul could react, a large black arrow appeared on the floor beneath his feet. He barely had time to brace himself before the arrow shot him back in to the wall forcefully. He fell to the floor, winded.

"I'll rephrase the question" he said as he tried to get up. "Where is Maka? Tell me or I'll obliterate you."

The scream resounds again, only this time, fainter, as the colour of the room dips further. To Soul, there was no mistaking it; it was Maka's voice.

"You know," Medusa said, matter-of-factly, "I am currently the only thing keeping the two of you alive." She began to saunter across the room, towards the heap that was Soul.

"What do you mean?" Soul managed to stand. "Explain yourself witch!"

The screaming resounded again.

"MAKA!" Soul screamed back at it, but before he could finish, he was being hurled against the wall again by another of Medusa's arrows. She reached him and held him to the ground. She smiled maniacally again.

"Shh," she said, placing her free finger on Soul's lips "You are only making it worse for yourself." She began to lean towards his face; her intent was clear. "It will be less painful if you just relax."

Soul was not having any of it. He attempted to wriggle free, making sure that Medusa's lips did not touch him; whatever it was that a kiss from her would have done, it would not have been pretty. "Where the **** is Maka" Soul growled in an aggressive tone that he would never normally use and glared at her willing his eyes to flash in an intimidating way.

Medusa had not moved, except her head; her eyes were still locked on Soul's. Taunting him like this was proving to be fun. Her maniacal was still spread over her face and after a second she giggled "it will only take a second and it will all be over."

"What are you talking about?"Soul continued to struggle. He had to find her. "Let me go goddammit!" The urgency in his voice just made Medusa laugh again. "I have to find her!" He was struggling to fight back the tears of worry and fear for his true meister; though the girl in front of him resembled her exactly, Soul knew there was not an ounce of Maka left in her, if there had been any to start with.

"What are _you_ talking about?" Medusa almost spat in his face. "I am Maka, and I am Medusa." She leaned in towards his ear "My blood runs though her veins. As it does yours"

Suddenly, a smug smile spread across Soul's face "If you were Maka, you would have chosen a better place to sit" He transformed his arm in to a scythe blade, which caught Medusa off guard. She leaped back across the room before Soul could make a move he was not going to make in the first place. He got to his feet. "Now tell me where the real Maka is!"

There was a pause, and then Maka's scream pierced it again louder than it had been before. All Medusa did was grin. "If you want her you will have to find her."

"What kind of sick twisted game are you playing witch?" Soul glowered at her again. "Get out of her body." There was another scream.

_No the scream came from the walls._ Soul looked around him at speed. The scream seemed to be coming from all around him. It seemed obvious; he was in Maka's mind; everything which was her was screaming. "Give her to me before I really lose it, witch" He growled at her again.

Medusa said nothing. Instead she conjured an arrow, which pointed to the floor, and sat on it, her legs crossed. Soul glared at her for a moment, then, after deciding that she wasn't going to attack him if he so much as took a step, scythe arm or no scythe arm, moved towards the wall of the room and ran a hand over it. It felt like Maka's skin; warm, soft and tender. He rested his cheek against it, hoping that it would give him a hint as to what to do next. It didn't.

Frustrated, he kicked the wall. "Give me a clue! Anything!" He yelled.

Before Medusa could reply, Maka's voice sound a clear "OUCH!"Soul's attention snapped to a small box on the table. It was still, surprisingly, maintaining its full colour, contrasting heavily with its background. It was almost luring him over to it. He wandered over to it, and looked at it for a moment before picking it up. He turned it over several times in his hands before shaking it. Maka's voice screamed again, though this time it was not a scream of pain; it was a scream of terror. When Soul put the box down again the screaming ceased and a rasping for breath began.

Soul glared at Medusa. "Open it," He said so clearly he was almost spitting.

Medusa only smirked again. "I haven't got the key" She said; her voice returned to its previous "cool" tone.

Soul glared at her again for a few seconds before returning his attention to the coloured box. He carefully tipped it up and tried to peer through the keyhole.

"I'm here, Maka," he said fairly quietly through the keyhole, worried that speaking loudly could potentially hurt the potentially shrunken meister. His attention returned to Medusa. "You obviously put her in here, so where is the key?"

Medusa's expression did not change. "It's somewhere." Neither did her tone.

Her tongue flashed snakelike, but Soul's gaze had returned to the box. He placed the box down on the table again, making sure not to shake it. He looked up, hoping for a sign and thrusts his hands in to his pockets. Said sign appeared faster than he thought it would; something soft, like the walls, touched his hand. The sensation shocked him, but the sight shocked him more when he pulled the key from his pocket.

He looked at it in awe; _I had it all this time?_

Medusa smiled an evil smile. "The key to her heart and soul. This is the point of no return. What unspoken secrets will you learn?" She giggled, as if trying to deter Soul.

Soul turned and glared at her. "What will happen if I open it?" There was only one thought on his mind; _I just want her back_.

Medusa said nothing; she just sat there smugly. The scream resounded again.

"Maka!" Soul cried out, his voice clearly worried. _What can I do? I have to help her… I'm the only one who can? But… _He bit his lip… _will this hurt her even more?_

He stopped his train of thought and looked at the key again. _This is the only way._

He put the key in the lock and turned it. It opened up with no problem. There was a bright glow coming from inside the box. Soul looked at it.

One moment he was there.

The next he was gone.

"Opps" giggled Medusa.


	3. Chapter 3  The Tortuous Grey

**Author's Note: Finally, I manage to get around to updating this. I am so sorry it took so long to do. Life, as always, decided to take over.**

**I apologise in advance, but updates on this story are likely to be very slow from now on. I am in second year at university, so I have a lot of work to do. I will do my best to keep this story coming though, and many more after this one is complete.**

**As always, please rate and review.**

**Disclaimer: Soul Eater and all associated characters and content belong to Atsushi Okubo.**

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Soul opened his eyes to yet another room; this one was far more disturbing than the previous ones. Once again, the walls resembled those of a castle, but this time they were adorned differently. As Soul looked around him, he felt more and more distressed; _what the hell is going on in here?_

Mounted on the walls were several rusted metal objects, the sole purpose of each seemed to be to cause pain. Suddenly, the scream, louder than he had heard it before, echoed off the stone walls. Soul's vision snapped towards the far wall.

On it hung Maka, in chains.

Then it became clear why the room was so distressing. Maka looked a state; her hair was scraggly and her skin seemed grazed in several places. The black coat she always wore was slightly tattered, there were scorch marks on her other clothes and her tie was not in its usual straight position; it was loose and hung over her yellow sweater. She was the only colour in the room and was slowly being drained of it. Soul ran over to her, calling her name.

Maka looked up and smiled at the sound of Soul's voice. The smile was broken seconds later and was replaced by yet another shriek of pain; black energy was coiled around the chains and every few seconds it shot through her body, painfully torturing her. When the energy stopped surging, Maka hung painfully from the iron chains restraining her, panting to regain her lost breath.

Soul reached her and clasped her hands, seeing the rust and smut marks on her once white gloves. He looked up at her, relieved to see his meister's face. Maka, after a couple of seconds was able to look and show him a smile. Once again, it was shattered by the electrical surge which ran though her, and this time through Soul too; Maka screamed, unable to let go of Soul's hands, and the electricity found an earth through him. He grunted; the pain was nigh on unbearable, but he wasn't going to let Maka know his pain - it would just hurt her more.

When the pain cleared Soul lunged and tried to pull the chains from the wall.

Maka summoned the strength to turn her head and look at him "What are you doing?" Her breathing was heavy and her voice showed her exhaustion from fighting against the pain; she was never the type of girl to just give in.

But Soul didn't respond to her. His attention was on getting Maka out of harm's way. A task which could prove to be hugely difficult; the iron chains where holding fast to the wall and refusing to budge. After the pair are struck by the black electricity once again Soul let go. He stepped back, his face showing frustration and rage.

"What the ****?" He glared at the chains for a split second before turning his gaze to Maka. His expression changed when he noticed the tears running down her face.

"Soul, what are you doing?" she cried.

Soul tried to regain his cool, so he could reassure the crying girl. "What do you think I'm doing?" His attempt failed. "I'm trying to save you!"

Before Maka had a chance to respond, the electricity struck again and she was unable to stop herself from screaming. Soul grunted in pain, but didn't stop trying to pull the chains from the wall.

"But… what… do you… intend… to do?" Maka's panting continued to break her speech.

"Get you out of here!" Soul continued to pull at the chains, with no avail.

"Soul… she... she's … taking… over… She-GYAAAAA!" Maka's sentence was broken by the surge of black power which also caused Soul to wince, but he continued tug. A link began to loosen; he didn't notice, and kept tugging.

He suddenly fell backwards as the chain's link fell apart. Maka's right arm fell limp for a second, but the chain reformed before Soul had a chance to blink. He stared at it for a moment, where it had spontaneously regenerated.

In that split second the energy surged again. Maka's scream rang off the walls once more as pain surged through her. Soul could only watch; his eyes were full of many emotions, but there was only one thing on his mind. He could not bare to see his beloved meister like this.

When she hung limp again, he began to tug again. Maka looked at him for a moment, trying to work out in her hazy mind what her weapon was trying to do, before saying something.

"Use… your… scythe…" she panted but screamed again before she could finish her sentence.

Soul winced in pain as the power surged through him too, unable to react before it struck. When the power stopped, he let go. It took a moment for him to collect his thoughts - to understand what Maka had said.

He stretched out his arm. It glowed for a second before changing shape. The light broke away and revealed a red and black scythe shape. He raised his newly shaped arm to strike the chains.

Before he had a chance to strike, the chains crackled with power and Maka's scream sounded again. Soul froze, as he watched, feeling Maka's pain.

When the crackling stopped he lunged at the chains, trying to force the bladed arm thought the rusting links. With a bit of a push he was able to break through the metal bonds which held Maka to the wall, before it inevitably refused.

Soul stared at the chain frustrated. What else could he try? He racked his brains for something else. He looked at Maka; her face was still pained, and her energy was fading fast.

Somehow Maka summoned all the energy she had to look at Soul. She stared; the pain on his face mirrored hers.

"May.. be… if…" she started, but was cut short by a surge of energy. She screamed again, and Soul winced, as if sharing her pain. She panted for a few seconds before continuing. "we...res…res...res...on... " She was broken off again, but Soul needed no further clarification.

He braced himself as he was forced to watch Maka suffer further. When the power's crackling ceased, he grabbed her hand and looked in to her eyes. She summoned up her strength to weakly gaze back at him.

"Tamashii no kyomei!" the pair said in unison, and they began to focus their soul wavelengths on each other.

After a few seconds, the energy from the chains began to crackle again. The pair continued to focus their efforts on one another, attempting to short the chains, breaking them in the process.

Suddenly the sparks surged stronger than before, causing Maka's concentration to slip. She screamed in agony as the painful power shot through her body, breaking the resonance. Soul gritted his teeth and was thrown back as their pains subsided.

He sat up and looked at his palms; the same sooty marks were appearing on his skin as were on Maka's gloves. He caught his breath quicker than Maka did, and started to look round the grey-scaled room in search of any further clues as to how to free her. The pain was nigh on unbearable; not something he wanted his precious meister to experience.

"Is… there… a...GYAAAAAA!" The power surged before Maka could finish her sentence, but it set Soul's mind off on a train of thought. He looked around for a few seconds before plunging his slightly grubby hand in to his trouser pocket. He immediately found what he was looking for, despite him being unsure if it was even there.

He revealed the key which had bought him to the place he was already in. Maka managed to catch a glimpse of it and register surprise on her face before the black electricity struck again, and she was subjected to the torture once more. Soul's line of sight snapped from the strange key, on to Maka as soon as her screams resounded again. He got to his feet and dashed over to her when the energy stopped surging. He quickly searched for a key hole, and found one seconds later. He had to persevere to turn the key, but when it finally clicked, Maka fell to the floor.

Soul barely had enough time to react to catch her, though somehow managed to. He lowered her gently to the floor where he allowed her to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" Soul asked cautiously.

After a few more seconds, Maka nodded. As she did, the colour around them slowly began to return; some of the wall mounted objects began to show their rust again, and Maka's colour returned to normal. Soul tipped his head to one side, awaiting Maka's answer.

"Maka! Answer me, damn it!"

But she didn't answer him. Instead, she tried to get to her feet. For a split second, she managed it, before stumbling and collapsing against the nearest stone wall. She paused there, before attempting to move again. Soul tried to help her steady herself; he wrapped his arm around her waist and moved her arm over his shoulder, and gave her as much support as he could.

"Thank you" Maka said weakly, when she finally got her breath back.

"We need to get you out of here." Soul looked around the room for the way by which he came in, however there was no door in sight; just one long corridor. He then said, in a hushed, slightly worried voice. "She's probably still around."

Maka had still barely recovered at all from her ordeal. "Medusa, you mean?" Her voice reflected her lack of strength and the pain to which she had been subjected.

Soul nodded. "Her," he growled in distaste.

Maka closed her eyes. Soul looked over at her to see her concentration.

"Are you getting anything?" he asked cautiously after a few seconds.

Maka remained still a moment longer before suddenly opening her eyes. Soul kept a careful watch on her, not showing the worry his mind was riddled with.

"She's here" she said, her voice was serious and monotone. Soul cursed under his breath as Maka's body began to shake. Soul turned to look at her as her legs gave way beneath her. Soul tried to keep her upright, but he was pulled down with her at her sudden weight and was forced to follow her to the flagstone floor. He continued to offer his support. Maka breathed heavily for a few seconds before trying to return to her feet.

"If… If you want me too, I can carry you?" Soul looked at Maka, his concern now apparent to Maka. She only nodded.

Soul scooped her up, and Maka held herself close to him. Despite feeling weak, she couldn't help but feel a certain sense of bliss wash over her.

Soul carried her through what felt like a mile of tunnels before exhaustion began to set in. The tunnels where a labyrinth; there was no clear path to anywhere.

Maka, now beginning to feel stronger, and noticing Soul's state, said to him meekly "Ummm… I think I'll be able to walk now… You can put me down if you want."

Soul, as much as he liked to be of help to Maka, did not need telling twice. Gently, he let her legs swing down to the floor. Once Maka had steadied herself, she turned and looked at him again, a small smile of gratitude on her face.

"So," Soul broke the silence after a second or two. "Which way then? This is your mind not mine" He began to laugh at his own joke.

Maka just stared at him muttering something about a book under her breath. Somehow, Soul heard and looked at her with annoyance.

"You're not funny." Despite this, he smirked at her. "Well judging from my cool nature, I say the best way out…" He looked around for a clue, but found none. He then remembered coming down many stairs "…is up. Wouldn't you agree?" He cocked his head on one side and smirked again, feeling pleased with himself for the logical conclusion.

But Maka was not paying attention to Soul's moment of personal triumph. She continued to stare, and it took Soul a few moments to realise this.

"Oi, Maka." But she didn't move.

Then he realised she wasn't staring at him.

He turned round, trying to see what Maka could, but all that was there were shadows, filling the corridors around them. Before he could get words out of his mouth, a pair of deep red dots flashed, like eyes, in the blackness.

Soul turned to protect Maka. "****" he cursed under his breath.

Slowly, the sound of heeled shoes begins to fill the air. Slowly, getting louder and louder. Maka, over come with terror, grabbed hold of Soul's shoulder, willing him to have the courage she lacked. She couldn't understand; why was she so scared?

"Stay away from her!" Soul yelled at the top of his voice, fierce, yet faltering.

But the walking didn't cease. The steps got louder and louder; closer and closer.

Swallowing his nerves, Soul yelled again. "I mean it! You stay away from her!"

The sound of heels continued.


	4. Chapter 4 Arrow's Blade

**Author's Note: Wow! It has been a very long time. I am sorry to all of those who have been waiting. In future, if you want to get more out of any one of my stories, please just message me, pestering. If you tell me you want me to write, it will be a greater encouragement for me to write ^_^**

**Also, my writing style is likely to seem to change. At this point, I have now finished my Creative Writing and Media Studies degree, so my writing has improved and matured. Admittedly, most of this chapter was written a long time ago, and I have not edited it much. However, I would like to know what people think on this question: Should I go back to the beginning of the story and edit/improve it, or should I just leave what I have written as it is and just finish off this story? Please let me know, however you deem fit.**

**I would also like to know what story you guys would like to hear from me first. I have several other fan-fictions in progress, and would like to know which one you think I should give priority to. I have another (very long) Soul Eater fic, which I have been working on with several friends. I have a Kuroshitsuji fic I have been role-playing with a friend, several Doctor Who ideas, a Puella Magi Madoka Magica fic and a YuGiOh fic, all of which are set to be interesting… but then again, I would say that; I'm writing them. Please let me know which one you would like to see first, however you deem fit.**

**Thank for reading through this wall of text before the chapter, now please enjoy the next instalment of the story. Don't for get to review ^_^ Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: Soul Eater and all associated characters and content belong to Atsushi Okubo.**

Soul growled silently.

Maka gripped his shoulder tighter.

Something in the darkness kept looming.

Soul readied himself. He knew what was coming, as did Maka. They both hoped they wouldn't have to, but this was inevitable.

The silhouette of a familiar, bell shaped dress began to immerge from the darkness. The shape of pigtails, neatly tied up with ribbons soon also became clear. To Soul, the physical appearance of the approaching figure was obvious. Maka stared in surprise. She could barely believe what she was seeing. It was like looking in a mirror, except there was something disturbingly wrong with this picture.

Her eyes, her smile; they were snake like.

Medusa!

This was wrong!

Maka pressed closer and hid behind Soul even more, shaking slightly; enough for Soul to feel.

_I have to be strong for her_ was the only thought running through his head. _I have to protect her_. He hated Medusa for all the pain she had caused in the past, but the fact that she was back again was a testament to her power. How had she not died after she was separated from that little girl's body; he couldn't be sure. He continued to glare, his eyes gleaming a vibrant red. He reached for Maka's hand. He found it. He gently took hold of it and reassuringly squeezed it.

Maka felt safer with Soul by her side. With him, she could do what to most would be impossible. She wasn't normally afraid of Medusa; at least she had not been in their previous battles.

But the feeling of fear was overwhelming; it was beyond her control.

This was not normal.

"Awwww" Medusa's voice came from girl's body in a mocking tone. "How cute." She smiled widely; in a way which shot fear through Maka.

Soul growled again and gripped Maka's hand slightly tighter. Medusa muttered something under her breath. She stretched out her hand.

"Vector Blade." Her voice was serious and monotone. A black, arrow-shaped blade formed from her dark energy. She looked towards the pair.

One second her face was hidden.

Then a smile of insanity and mania spread across her face.

Maka shuddered violently. That was her body with Medusa's face; the sight of it rendered her petrified. Soul could feel her terror. He cursed under his breath. He dropped his posture lower and growled at the figure on the other side of the room, before yelling "Get out of our way! Or we'll have to take you down."

He glanced over his shoulder; to Maka. He tried to reassure her with his soul's wavelength.

"It's going to be okay Maka." His voice echoed off the walls, clear for all to hear. Maka was startled by the sound of his voice; her petrifaction was broken, yet her fear remained. Medusa's grin widened impossibly further. She began to shudder as if she was laughing; as if she had found their weakness.

"Soul," Maka whispered frantically over his shoulder, gripping it through fear. "It seems we can't use our soul wavelengths like that. We'll have to whisper."

Soul was not sure how this was going to work but he nodded anyway.

Medusa lowered her body, ready to spring. Soul mimicked her. His mind was racing. How could he make sure that Maka didn't get hurt any more than she already was? Medusa glared at him; he glared back.

Medusa shifted; Soul knew he had to think fast.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

Maka, slightly shocked by his apology, looked at him confused.

Before either of the teens could move, Medusa lurched forward.

Soul quickly pushed Maka to the floor with one hand, while is other arm glowed and shifted in to its bladed form. Maka squeaked in surprise as she was pushed and she landed on the grey stone floor with a thud, winding her.

She opened her eyes and looked up to see Soul and Medusa locked in combat.

She tried to get to her feet.

She did, just.

She leant against the wall, breathing heavily.

Soul noticed.

"Stay back!" He called at her, as he blocked yet another of Medusa's attacks.

She watched the pair, feeling helpless as they kept lunging at each other, blades clashing against one another; the sound rung down the halls of Maka's mind. She couldn't leave Soul like this. They had to work together. Maka tried to steady her breathing, clearing her mind so she could be of some kind of use.

Medusa and Soul clashed once again and Soul leaped back landing right next to Maka.

"Quick Soul" She called at him, her composure now regained.

Soul nodded, and his whole body glowed, before compressing and changing in to his full weapon form; a simply shaped, long bladed, red and black scythe.

Maka concentrated, spinning the newly transformed Soul and twisting him around her body. Her mind focused and she performed the fancy moves. Medusa just watched, eager to see where this was leading.

When she found her focus, she stopped. She swung back the blade, ready to attack.

Medusa leapt forward. Maka responded. Their blades met and clashed. They fought dextrously, neither taking a direct hit. Their blades rang before the pair pushed back at paused, both breathing heavily.

"What is it that you want?" Medusa's sly voice pierced the silence.

Maka stared at her, still breathing heavily.

_What do I want_, she thought, _I want my body back_.

The though did not ring off the walls as it had done previously; Maka remained silent.

Medusa's snakelike grin rippled across the doppelganger's face.

"I'm in your way," she concluded, her voice still as sly and calculating as it had previously been. "Aren't I?"

Maka glared at her, readying herself to attack the witch who had stolen her face again.

"I know what I want," she muttered to herself, and she charged.

Medusa did not waste a second to find out what was happening.

Maka pulled back Soul, as if to swing him.

Medusa grin gleamed in the little light which surrounded them. She expertly dodged Soul's attack and then began to whisper something under her breath. Maka could not hear what she said, but the next thing she knew room began to quake. Medusa sprang up as the shaking started and gracefully landed out of Maka's sight. Maka was taken by surprise and stumbled in to a wall. She was surrounded by a forest of black arrow blades, and Medusa was perched atop the tallest, central one, glaring down with a look of malice on her face.

Maka recovered and poised to attack. She knew it was only a matter of time before Medusa leaped for her again. She gripped Soul tightly and glared back at her target, trying to find a weak point.

Soul's image shimmered on to the underside of the scythe's blade. Maka turned the blade and looked at him.

"Anything at all?" He could tell what his meister was thinking, even without the use of their soul wavelength to communicate. Maka paused, and looked up at the doppelganger again.

It yawned and Medusa's mocking voice rang out "Come on, we haven't got all day you know."

Maka looked back at Soul and nodded.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready as ever."

Maka stepped away from the wall and began to twirl Soul above her head, getting faster and faster. Medusa knew what this meant, and it made her smirk even more.

"Come on and show me, Maka Albarn," Medusa gloated from her perch "the power of the scythe meister!"

Maka stopped twirling Soul, and dropped his blade low.

"Let's go! Soul Resonance!" The pair called out.

It took a second, but blue soul energy began to spark around them. Medusa watched as their power began to grow. If they were to hit, she would be done for! All her hard work would be wasted. She had to act fast. She muttered something under her breath.

A black arrow appeared underneath the resonating pair. Maka did not have a chance to respond to it. Dark energy surged up through her legs, crippling her and causing her to scream. She dropped Soul, causing him to clatter on the stone floor. It was so painful for her, and Soul could do nothing but watch.

When the power subsided, Maka collapsed to the floor in a heap, breathing heavily. Medusa smiled from her perch. It took a second for Maka to regain control of her body, but when she did, she looked at her hands. Black soot seemed to cover them, more so than before, as if she had been burned by that energy surge. She stared at it confused. _What the hell was this new power of Medusa's_? _What the hell was going on_?

Medusa watched the raggedy girl carefully. Her thin lips curled upwards; it was clear she could win. Her eyes darted to Soul, and her lips pursed slightly as she decided that he was no threat - there was no way he could react quick enough to be so; he would be too worried about his precious meister to worry about what the doppelganger was doing.

But Soul had seen. He watched from the ground as Medusa readied her blade. She ran finger carefully along the edge of it. He looked across at Maka; she was still recovering. All of this fighting inside of her head, especially after what she had already gone through was taking its toll on her. Her breathing was exasperated and that shock must have hurt her more than me, he thought. _It's her mind after all_. He looked back at Medusa, whose focus was on Maka.

Medusa leaped towards Maka, blade raised, ready to strike.

Maka barely had time to look up and react.

His eyes widened as the black blade struck him straight across the chest; along the scar that Crona had created on their first meeting. His crimson blood flicked on to the stone grey floor. It stained his teeth as he coughed. His body crumpled to the floor.

Maka stared in horror, unable to move.

"SOUL!"


End file.
